Apple Suppliers Struggling to Meet Environmental Goals

Apple's strict environmental goals are putting pressure on the company's global supply chains, DigiTimes reports.

apple park solar
In a paywalled report, ‌DigiTimes‌ claims that Apple's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 is putting pressure on its supply chain, with major suppliers such as TSMC scrambling to meet the company's demands. Sources speaking to ‌DigiTimes‌ said that TSMC was making slow progress toward carbon neutrality and is being forced to take more assertive action to reach its environmental goals.

TSMC supplies all of Apple's custom silicon chips for the Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company is said to be concerned about the high cost of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and is finding it difficult to purchase enough green energy. Despite this, TSMC now sees its green credentials as key to its ability to stay competitive in the years ahead, with the tangential benefit of improving efficiency.

Just as Apple is compelling its suppliers to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, TSMC is putting the same pressure on its own supply chain. Several hundred factories in Taiwan singularly depend on TSMC for orders and the chip manufacturer has urged its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint by using energy from renewable sources.

TSMC previously announced a 20 percent energy-savings goal for its supply chain by 2030, and now it has warned suppliers that they could lose orders if their processes are not considered to be green enough in the future. Some of the chip maker's suppliers that are themselves struggling to meet environmental goals have reportedly sought assistance from TSMC and external organizations.

While demand for TSMC's chips continues to expand, the push for green manufacturing and renewable energy procurement and the cost of carbon taxes and fees is significantly increasing production costs. As such, environmental goals are said to be "major risks" for TSMC's operations going forward.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

citysnaps Avatar
37 months ago
Hat-tip to Apple for setting a high bar.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
businessnumbersmoneypeopl Avatar
37 months ago
How about making those AirPod batteries replacable? There's a competitor that has already managed to do such thing with similar bluetooth earpods.

While they're at it, Apple could also make iPhones and Macbooks more repairable and upgradeable. After that they can start talking about using green energy etc.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
37 months ago
It may not be possible to consume the same amount of energy we are used to using by using green energy only.

It may also not be possible to stop the downhill slide humans have tilted the global climate.

All evidence suggests that the earth is long down the path of the 6th global mass extinction.

just sayin.

Have a good day!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
37 months ago

How about making those AirPod batteries replacable? There's a competitor that has already managed to do such thing with similar bluetooth earpods.

While they're at it, Apple could also make iPhones and Macbooks more repairable and upgradeable. After that they can start talking about using green energy etc.
How-aboutism at its finest.

The story is about Apple holding its suppliers accountable meeting certain environmental goals in their processes.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
37 months ago
good for Apple to have an aggressive goal. One has to review though TSMC's goal to truly understand where their goals, I sure don't trust Digitizes ... and, in general, Asia is behind when it comes to environmental goals, when most manufacturing is moved to Asia from both US and EU for cheap labor and low environmental control, well ... things need to change, there is only 1 earth and we are all breathing the same air ...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
businessnumbersmoneypeopl Avatar
37 months ago

How-aboutism at its finest.
I'm just annoyed how Apple keynotes continuously boast about their environmental targets while they are turning a blind eye to most obvious solutions. Sure, I understand the business logic behind it, but that doesn't make it less hypocritical.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)